C—2a

Taking into account the stocks at the beginning and end of the year, the following statement shows details of the coal disposed of during the year : Ist April, 1948 —- Tons cwt. qr. Tons cwt. qr. Stock in bins and yard .. .. 78 14 0 Add net output for year .. 36,210 0 0 36,288 14 0 31st March, 1949 Less stock in bins and yard .. .. 58 9 0 36,230 5 0 Disposals Tons cwt. qr. Local and mine sales .. .. 1,282 0 0 Bailed .. .. .. .. 34,277 16 0 Bales to workmen and free issues 670 9 0 ' 36,230 5 0 The gross output since the colliery was taken over by the State Coal-mines is 441,209 tons 1 cwt. Bays Worked. —The colliery worked 225 days 6 hours out of a possible of 242 ordinary working-days. In addition, the colliery worked on 2 statutory holidays, making a total of 227 days 6 hours worked. The difference between the ordinary days worked and the possible number of working-days is accounted for as follows : Union meetings, 5 days ; deputies' strike, 3| hours ; truckers' strike, 3 days ; dispute, 3| : hours ; power failure I day 1 hour ; transport (damaged bridge), 5 days ; mechanical breakdown, 3| hours ; no turnout of men last backshift of year, hours. Employees. —In connection with coal-winning, there were employed in and about the mine an average of 129 men and 2 boys, made up as follows —Underground : Coalhewers, 30 ; deputies, shiftmen, and truckers, 72. Surface : 27 men and 2 boys. Daily Earnings.—The coal-hewers' average daily earnings were (gross) £3 lis. 3d., and after deducting stores (explosives) their net return was £3 Bs. lid., a decrease of 2s. 2d. per day when compared with the previous year. Daily Output. —The average daily output was 169 tons 5 cwt. and the average per coal-hewer was 5 tons 19 cwt. as compared with 231 tons 4 cwt. and 8 tons II cwt. the previous year. Note. —In addition, 4,580 tons of stone were filled during the year. Hewers' Shifts. —Hewers' shifts worked were 6,411. Deficiencies. —No amounts were paid under the minimum-wage clause during the year. Accidents. —There were 64 accidents reported during the year, 3 being of a serious nature. Underground Workings.—No pillar-extraction was done this year. The output was obtained from solid workings and from the fallen coal filled out of the airways. No. 2 East level was driven 24 chains, and " C " Panel headings and " D " Panel headings were driven 6 chains and 7 chains respectively. The Slant Dip was advanced 12 chains and the No. 3 East level, off this dip, has been driven 3 chains. In all the above development places the coal was of good quality. A 27 ft. upthrow fault was encountered in both the No. 2 East level and in the "D " Panel headings. It was successfully crossed and the seam picked up again. Excessive amounts of slack coal, constituting a fire hazard., were filled-out from a total length of 97 chains of airways.

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